Tag: winterfell

[Warning: the following article contains Game of Thrones season 6 episode 9 spoilers]

The Battle of the Bastards has come and gone, and we have only one word in reaction:

holyshitwowomgomgomg.

Game of Thrones has a long history of throwing the most action and suspense into episode 9, and season 6 was no exception.

Check out what we believe are the top 5 moments from the episode!

5. Yara and Dany meet… & get flirty

Goodbye Daario, hello Yara!

The sexual tension between Yara and Daenerys was palpable and oh so delicious in episode 9, but before you guys get a little too excited, a hookup between the two is pretty far fetched.

…Or is it?

Anything goes in the world of Game of Thrones, and it wouldn’t be the first time Daenerys had a little fun with another lady (at least as far as the books are concerned).

We’ll have to wait until next season to see how their relationship – business and personal – progresses, but don’t worry, there’s at least 100 fanfics and fanart pieces out there of Dany x Yara already to hold us all over until next year.

4. Game of Thrones pulls a Lord of the Rings

Gandalf Sansa reappears in the third act of the Battle of Helms Deep the Bastards with a large army which effectively demolishes the Orc’s Ramsay Bolton’s remaining forces.

The appearance of the Knights of the Vale wasn’t a surprise to a majority of Game of Thrones fans (who else would Sansa have sent that letter to, after all?), but even so, the last minute rescue was immensely satisfying to watch.

3. The monster with questionable pedigree becomes Pedigree

Ramsay Bolton was devoured by his own hounds in what can only be described as an act of poetic justice…. and it was amazing.

Sophie Turner (Sansa) and Iwan Rheon (Ramsay) absolutely shined in this powerful and haunting performance full of memorable lines, including this symbolic bit:

Ramsay: My hounds will never harm me.

Sansa: You haven’t fed them in seven days. You said it yourself.

Ramsay: They’re loyal beasts.

Sansa: They were. Now they’re starving.

After how Ramsay treated Sansa for two seasons, let’s just say that her mischievous smile at the end of this scene is something most Team Stark fans can relate to on a personal level.

2. Dany’s dragons reunite for an epic aerial fire display

Rhaegal and Viserion have finally been freed from their dungeon!

Dany’s two smallest children joined very big brother Drogon for a fun little fire drill exercise in the bay, and at mommy’s command, the three brothers laid complete waste to at least one of the Master’s ships.

A great amount of care and effort was put into the CGI for this scene, and the end result proves it.

Scenes involving the dragons have in the past featured some crude CGI (remember the blatantly obvious green screening when Dany escaped the fighting pits on Drogon’s back towards the end of season 5?), but the CGI implemented in this scene was nearly flawless. Some scenes were a little iffy and cartoony (like when Rhaegal and Viserion burst out of their dungeon), but overall the dragon sequence was excellently done.

Special effects team: you done good.

1. The Battle of the Bastards

The Battle of the Bastards was the most glorious and incredible battle in the history of Game of Thrones and arguably the history of television.

From beginning to end, the battle featured heart pounding suspense and action that easily left fans clinging to the edge of their seats.

The battle was chaotic, messy, and gory, but excellent editing and filming made the whole bloody ordeal a visual splendor that was easy to follow.

Whether it was the choreography, cinematography, special effects or the acting itself, everything in the battle scene was perfectly done. And as we now know, the whole creation process was a true labor of love for the cast and crew:

Between the dragons, the battle, and all those horses, this episode must have been astronomically expensive.

But hey… it’s not our wallets, right? Thanks HBO!

What was your favorite moment from ‘Battle of the Bastards’? Let us know in the comments!